The present invention relates to an axial roller bearing particularly adapted for use in rolling mills which comprises a pair of flat bearing discs and a plurality of rollers in the annular space between the discs supported in a cage consisting of a cage base plate and a locking ring.
Bearings of this general construction are not new per se. However, in the prior bearings, the cage is guided in an axial direction on the rolling surfaces of the bearing discs. It has been observed, however, that the cage friction generated in these assemblies during operation produces a rapid wear of the bearing parts. An additional disadvantage in these known prior bearing assemblies is that the cage is only guided in one direction and additional means must be provided for guiding the cage in an axial direction.
There are also prior assemblies wherein the cage includes an integrated flange at the outside edge to fix the rolling elements in the cage pockets and additionally to provide a support or holding ring which rests against the outside surface of one of the bearing discs. This assembly, however, is relatively complicated and, therefore, rather expensive to manufacture.